Nightmares and Dreams
by mira ff
Summary: Planning a wedding, hiding a relationship, and keeping the peace between friends is a handful for Cloud and Tifa. But what happens when an old threat returns to Gaia? Will they be strong enough to stop it once again? Sequel to Commitments and Obligations.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**

**The past 2 weeks were extremely intense with PROM and senior trip and parties and so much other things. But the good news is, I have another story! (a sequel actually)**

**So this is a sequel to my latest finished story _Commitments and Obligations._ It would be best if you read that one first, obviously. But hey, I can't make you do anything. Just be prepared to be kind of confused if you didn't :D**

**Sorry for the delay, and thank you to all of my reviewers for _Commitments and Obligations_. I'd like to thank the readers too. You guys rock!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own FF7; only the original game, strategy guide, ACC, and the newly obtained Crisis Core (AHHH! I'm so pumped for that XD)**

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"Here then?" The red-headed Turk shifted side to side, watching his partner place the last bit of remains inside a crate.

"It is what the president ordered." He placed the metal lid on top of the box, fastening it quickly yet with sheer efficiency. Rude straightened his sunglasses, examining the crate for any intimation of a possible breach.

Reno picked up a smaller box. "We had to separate each one?" He placed it back on top of the large pile and crossed his arms. "Sounds like a waste of time if you ask me, yo."

"Wrong." The black haired Turk came through the shadows. Unlike Reno, his suit was spotless. He commanded authority simply by stepping into the area. Tseng hung up his cell phone, placing it smoothly inside his suit pocket, and looked back at his two Turks. "Remember Reunion?" He wasn't too surprised to see Reno's head shake no. "It's the Jenova cells. They _want_ to be together."

Rude looked quizzical, "So we're locking them up in here?"

His superior nodded. He tapped harshly on the top of the titanium crate. "In pieces."

"Yeah, relax!" Reno patted his partner on the back. "It's just old bits of corpse." He smirked and gently kicked a nearby box, earning a glare from Tseng. "Not like Sephiroth will just poof back."

The last of the crates were piled in the corner. Tseng pressed the keypad, and the door locked behind them, never to be opened again. "Back to the surface."

* * *

These were the moments he liked best. The whole house and bar were completely quiet, still with the peace of dusk. His whole body felt warm, elated. He didn't know if he should dare to stir and break this ethereal calm. His mind decided against it. He would only open his eyes a bit; just enough to see how much light was peering into the room.

Blue gaze met the white room quickly. His eyes only wanted to look at the window, only for a moment, but the arm across his chest immediately grabbed their attention. His head shifted against the pillow, and he felt himself smile at the white hand in front of him.

But an even greater distraction, an even greater comfort, was on his shoulder. The tangled dark hair trailed from his collar bone to the top of his chest. She seemed so relaxed. _So perfect._ He had to fight the urge to just touch her cheek, just feel her skin. He quickly turned to face her, unable to resist.

She awoke when his hand touched her face gently. Her brown eyes flashed in surprise, instinct reacting before realization. "Hey." She eyed the man sleepily and removed her arm from his body. Her own figure stretched in the bed.

"Sorry I woke you." The blonde sat half way up. His hair was ruffled up in frizzy spikes.

The black haired girl simply yawned. "Good morning, Cloud." She couldn't suppress the smile as her mouth formed the words.

"Good morning." He bent down to her head, kissing her lips and then her cheek.

She sat up to face him, "Did you sleep well?"

_How could I not?_ "Yes, Tifa."

"My bed was comfortable?" She smiled coyly and laughed at his blush. "I'm glad." She looked around the room, looking a little nervous. "Cloud, what time is it?"

"…8:30."

"…what?" She fumbled out off the bed, slipping the covers from the mattress and causing Cloud to flinch back a bit. "The kids are probably awake!"

Cloud simply nodded, knowing that she was probably correct, but he confused at her panicked state.

"They're probably wondering where we are!" Tifa's fingers went through her hair, a sad attempt to make it straighter. She grabbed her robe off the hook on the back of the door and then swiftly turned around, noticing Cloud smirking at her figure. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

The smirk grew. Cloud got up from the bed and picked his white t-shirt off of the floor. He placed it back over his chest and made no attempt to flatten down the blonde spikes. "How long are we going to hide this Tifa?" It had only been a week since they had admitted their feelings, but Cloud was getting uncharacteristically anxious. It took them so long to reach where they are now, and they had to hide it? Cloud didn't like the idea, but he respected Tifa's wishes.

Cid and Shera had announced their engagement to them a few days ago. Apparently Cid had become completely drunk and grabbed Shera's hand. He told her that his new airship was named after her because he loved her, and that he'd do anything to make her marry him. Shera, after being completely shocked that he didn't just ask her for tea, accepted.

_Cloud thought that after a day or two they would at least act like how they felt. He noticed how Tifa constantly smiled at him and asked how he was doing, so he naturally assumed it was okay if their relationship was now 'open' to the public. One morning, while Tifa was making breakfast for the kids, Cloud placed his hand on her waist. Tifa cringed back and moved away from him. "Cloud…"_

"_What?" He walked closer._

"_Not yet…" Her eyes glanced from him to the kids. _

_Cloud crossed his arms, "But how you were acting. All the smiling, the questions…I just thought…"_

_He stopped, seeing Tifa start to laugh. "Cloud!" She shook her head and grabbed his shoulders, saying in a soft murmur. "That's how I've always acted with you."_

"Until after the wedding."

He immediately frowned, but understood Tifa's timing. Shera had asked Tifa to help her with the wedding plans, as a maid of honor.

"Cloud…" She walked over to him and smiled. "If you want to just tell them now, it's fine. I've been waiting for this for a long time. I should just be happy that it happened." Tifa caressed his cheek. "It's just…I never once thought about how our friends would react to this…or the children. What if Barret doesn't like it that we're…you know." She gestured to the bed. "What if he takes Marlene away? And what if they think I'm…because Aerith…"

_Aerith?_ "You shouldn't worry about them, Tifa. It only matters what we think."

"You're right." But she still looked reluctant to say much else about the issue.

Cloud was searching for a compromise. He placed his hands on her shoulders, "…How about we tell them slowly, one at a time."

"One at a time? Then Yuffie better be last." She smiled and looked up to Cloud. "Okay. But who first?"

The blonde thought for a moment, about who wouldn't have any negative thought about the situation. _Who would be happy?_ But it was hard to come up with anyone who'd be _unhappy_ about this. To him, Tifa's worries were incredibly unwarranted, but he respected them nonetheless. "Denzel." He wanted to give the young boy a true family since day one. "I'll tell him."

Tifa was pulling at her bangs. "…okay. I'll get Marlene away for a moment, and you can tell him. But just make sure to say it's private, Cloud." Her voice was stern but still laced with anxiety.

"Relax, Tifa." He gave her a tight quick hug and kissed her firmly. "Even if they don't accept it, there are worst things that could happen. Much worse."

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**A/N:**

**Starting off a tad slow, but it will gain momentum! I promise! Reviews and PMs are the greatest! I'll try to update soon!**

**~Mira  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:  
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**Hey guys! It's Mira! And I'm back! Sooner than I expected too...**

**It's all thanks to my oh-so lovely reviewers:  
**

**always-kh, TiffanyLockheart, SorrowsFlower, and LOstGirlz.**

**and my fabulous Readers ;D**

**thank you thank you thank you.**

**Disclaimer: FF7 is not mine. Please don't sue.**

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"They're late." The brown haired girl at the table looked incredibly displeased. She tapped her fingers on the wooden table impatiently, shaking her frizzy hair about. It wasn't in a braid this morning. Tifa wasn't there to do it. She wasn't up to make breakfast either. Or make Denzel brush his hair or get changed. The whole morning seemed to be in disarray.

"It's okay, Marlene." Denzel pulled a box of cereal from the cabinet. "You want this?"

The girl shook her head. "I want to know where Tifa is! Cloud's normally late, but Tifa's usually up early all the time!" Marlene sighed and wrapped her pink bow around her wrist. "Where could they be?"

Denzel blinked a little and scratched his head, "Marlene…"

"What!"

The older boy was about to explain when his two guardians trudged into the kitchen, looking as haphazard as ever. Tifa's hair was messier than Marlene's, and although Cloud never looked too presentable in the morning, he looked overly cautious. Denzel cracked a knowing grin.

The older man took a chair and gave the boy a soft smile. Cloud scratched the back of his neck and coughed a little.

It caused Tifa to jump back. "Oh! Um…Marlene, let me do your braid. Come." The two girls left the room swiftly, leaving Cloud alone with Denzel.

"Where were you two, Cloud?"

The blonde narrowed his eyebrows at the boy's tone. _Does he know already? _Cloud sighed. Maybe he and Tifa weren't the _best_ at hiding their emotions to each other. Especially when the kids were around them all the time. "Denzel…Tifa and I…"

The little boy's eyes widened expectedly, "Tifa and you are…"

"We want to tell you something."

"Oh." His feet swayed gently on the kitchen chair. "What is it? Is it something…important?"

_Yes._ Cloud's face reddened. "I…um…just listen." He sat down next to Denzel at the table. His fingers drummed gently on the edge of the wood, exposing his restlessness. "Tifa and I…we may have, um…developed some feelings for each other."

The brown haired boy blinked. "What?"

"You see we like each other more than…"

"No! I get that! I'm 10 years old. But what do you mean _developed_? Didn't you always love each other?"

The statement made Cloud jump back a bit. _Always love each other?_ He saw Denzel's innocent yet perceptive expression, making him extremely reluctant to answer the boy's question. "…We just wanted you to know."

"Thanks?" Denzel got up from the chair and went to the fridge, pulling out the container of orange juice. "Was that supposed to be news, Cloud?"

He couldn't ignore it any longer. "You make it sound like you already knew…"

"Doesn't every…"

"DENZEL! DENZEL!" Marlene was running back into the room, her hair newly braided and with an infuriated Tifa at her heels. "Tifa and Cloud are…oh." She stopped short, noticing Cloud's presence. "Hi, Cloud. Are you and Tifa getting married?"

"MARLENE!" Tifa grabbed the little girl's wrist and shook her head wildly. Her blushed face went from the floor to Cloud but then back down. "I'm sorry, Cloud…she heard you talking." Tifa changed her focus back to Marlene. "And you shouldn't ask people questions like that!"

She pouted, "…so that's a no?"

Cloud was getting uncomfortable. He shifted in his seat and then suddenly got up, "Look…we want to keep this just between us for now."

"Oh!" Marlene jumped up. "Like a secret?"

Tifa nodded, "Exactly. So that means no telling anyone."

"Not even Papa?"

"No one, Marlene." Cloud ran his hand through his hair. "It's a big secret."

* * *

Tifa laid out the book of patterns she had picked up earlier from the store. It was hard trying to find anything in Edge, so she had to travel all the way to Kalm, where Shera and Cid picked her up in the airship.

The trip alone with Cloud on Fenrir was…different. She no longer felt a little awkward when she held onto him tightly on the bike. The same feeling of protection was there, but it seemed to multiply when she knew that he loved her. All her senses seemed to be magnified yet dulled at the same time. Everything seemed sweeter, brighter, but centered on Cloud. _I don't mind._

It was, in a way, a relief. There was no doubt that she loved him…forever. _Maybe a slight exaggeration…_ But for a long time. And she had waited for him. She waited for him to find himself, to get over Aerith, to realize how strong he is. _And now he's mine?_ She hugged his body closer to her, afraid to let go.

She told him she'd be back after helping Shera with the wedding. And Cloud simply nodded, like he normally would. Only this time, before Fenrir sped off, he kissed her.

"What _is _you favorite color, Shera?"

The engineer blinked vaguely. "…It doesn't matter."

_Well that makes things easier._ "Are you sure? I mean, you only get one wedding day, Shera. You want to make it feel right." Tifa fumbled through the book, looking for a nice pattern. "How about a soft green for the brides maid dresses? It adds a nice contrast to the wedding dress, but will go with whatever flowers you pick."

She only nodded.

_Green it is then._ The younger woman kept flipping through the book. "Purple always looks nice with green too. We could have purple orchids or different accents…does that all sound good?" Tifa noticed the engineer get distracted.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just…" Shera got up and straightened her glasses before turning some dials on the AC in the conference area of the _Shera_. "Cid always blasts the air conditioner but it's so bad for the engine, especially since we aren't running on mako energy anymore." She turned back to Tifa. "You were saying?"

The martial artists closed the book, "Shera, I'm sorry if I'm being blunt, but…it doesn't really seem like you care about what the wedding looks like."

Shera smiled, "That's not being blunt…it's the truth."

_Huh?_ Tifa didn't understand. Didn't every little girl dream about what their wedding would look like? Wasn't that every woman's fantasy?

"When you meet the right person…" Shera paused and took Tifa's hand. "The only thing that matters at a wedding is that you're marrying him and no one else. When that part is right, nothing else matters."

"Psh." The soft footsteps made the two women turn. "Spare me, Shera. You _are _talking about Cid, right?" the young ninja plopped herself down at the table. "You guys couldn't even wait 'til I was out of the bathroom? Gosh, Teef." She grabbed the book out of the martial artist's hands. "Anyway Shera, you need a huge wedding! I mean, we're heroes of Meteorfall! We could have one of those! And ohh!"

Tifa tried to take the book back, "I think Shera's the small wedding type."

"Yeah, but I'm not! And face it, Teef. I doubt any of us are getting married anytime soon…" Yuffie's grip on the book tightened. "So…should we start with the type of swans or ice sculptures?"

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**A/N:**

**So that's it for part 2. I'll get started on part 3...but Crisis Core awaits. Gosh, I didn't realize how pretty it is, and how cute Zack and Aerith could be...**

**oh sorry for the babble...thanks guys! and please review!!**

**~Mira  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**

**What do you get when you combine a crazy summer schedule and 0 inspiration? ...you get my INCREDIBLY late updates.**

**Sigh. I suck.**

**But my lovely reviewers don't:  
**

**LOstGirlz**** and ****vx-Luna-xv**

**you're much more fabulous than me :p**

**Disclaimer: not mine.**

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_No more wear and tear_.

It became almost a weekly thing for him to come here, not out of guilt, but more respect. He had moved the giant sword to the old sector 5 church shortly ago. It just seemed right. It seemed like the most appropriate place, the perfect place. Holy was now equipped into the sword, yellow flowers taking its place back in the Midgar outskirts.

Cloud was amazed how old the Buster Sword looked now.

"_I never really see you use that thing."_

The blonde was not so careful with it. He had used it often, constantly 2 years ago to ward of monsters and other fiends. It finally deserved its rest.

"Cloud!" The little girl in the pink ribbon ran up to him from the front of the church. "Cloud! Your phone was ringing!"

He sighed. "Where is it, Marlene?" He didn't really like to bring the little girl here too often, but she seemed to love the church.

"On your motorcycle. I answered it for you…sorry. It just kept ringing and ringing and I remember how last time you wanted me to get the phone so I figured it was okay!"

Patting Marlene's head, Cloud started to walk back towards the entrance of the church. "I guess Tifa needs help at the bar…"

"Yeah…but not with business stuff."

This surprised him. Cloud turned back to the little girl. "What'd she say?"

"I couldn't hear! There were too many gunshots!" _WHAT?!_

Cloud grabbed the little girl's hand, imagining the worst. They flew back to Fenrir, parked close outside, and glided off towards Edge.

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The shouts were overwhelming as he entered the bar. The flash of long dark brown hair caught his attention first, and he quickly sped towards the figure. "Tifa!"

"Cloud!" She answered back, but her vision wasn't directed towards him. Her fists went up at the familiar looking caped man. "STOP IT! Put the gun down!" Her voice was commanding and frustrated.

Cloud looked from the caped man to the three barreled gun to exactly what the gun was pointing at. It was directed at the bar, which had a 5-pointed shuriken stabbed in the counter top. _Yuffie?_

"Tifa…" Marlene peeked behind Cloud's leg. "What's Uncle Vincent doing?"

At the sound of the little girl's voice, Vincent turned around and reapplied the safety. Cerberus was then lowered back into its holster.

"Vincent!" Tifa sounded like a disappointed mother. "Was that really necessary? You could have killed her."

He huffed. "I assure you that my shot would have not been deadly."

"Could have fooled me!" Yuffie hopped from behind the bar, hands on her hips, and eyes narrowed at the gunman. "What the hell is your problem, Vince?"

The black haired man turned away, "…You should not have said those things."

Yuffie sighed and dislodged her shuriken. "Didn't know you were so sensitive…" The ninja gave Vincent one last stare then turned towards the hallway. "I'll be in my room, call me when he calms down." Yuffie grabbed Marlene's hand and headed out.

It was Cloud's turn to question. "What happened here?" Chairs were turned, glasses spilled. Nothing actually appeared broken, but it was unlike the 7th Heaven to appear slightly dirty. This was a mess.

Tifa sighed, frustrated. "Ask him. I need to tell Denzel it's safe to come out."

Cloud's eyes wandered from Tifa towards Vincent. The older man's face was filled with disdain, a surprise from its usual apathetic appearance. "Vincent?"

"… It's nothing, Cloud. Please do not be concerned."

"You were shooting bullets in my home. That's something I should be concerned about."

The caped man grunted and turned around. "…She asked to be my date."

He couldn't help his reaction. Cloud found himself snicker at Vincent's remark, but the immediate death glare quickly made him stop. "Sorry…it's just that doesn't seem like a big problem."

Vincent was walking away, obviously displeased with Cloud's reaction. "It is when she calls the woman you love a 'crystallized zombie'." _Oh._ He was opening the door, getting ready to leave, when something stopped him. "Oh and Cloud." His red cape swirled from behind him. "We both know."

_Shit._ The blond spun from the closing front door to the hallway, only to see the young ninja propped against the wall. "Is…is he really that mad?"

Her sentence confused him. It wasn't a snipe comment about his personal life or any other condescending remark about his hair or constant depression. Her tone wasn't even sarcastic; it was genuinely sincere. "Yuffie, we need to talk."

Yuffie's dark eyes brightened. "Oh! Yeah, Marlene kinda spilled. You were looking forward to telling me yourself, huh Strife?" She cracked a faint smile and then moved over to the bar to take back her shuriken. "But anyway, what did he say to you?"

He blinked. "Who?"

"VINCENT!" Yuffie screeched. "You're such a moron sometimes, Cloud. Really, poor Tifa." She hooked the weapon onto her back and started out the door. "…Maybe I should follow him. I really didn't mean to make him so angry."

_What is going on?_ This was extremely unlike Yuffie. _She wants to apologize?_ "I don't think he wants to talk to anyone, Yuffie."

"Hmph. Well then I'll just make him!" She stomped out of the bar, the sides of her shuriken cutting away at the doorframe.

"Cloud!" Tifa came back out from the hallway and grabbed his shoulders. "Are they okay?" Her brown eyes seemed distracted, but he answered her question nevertheless.

"…not yet. Yuffie wants to talk to him."

Tifa blinked, "Oh…" Her hand caressed his pale cheek for a moment. "Apparently Marlene told Yuffie by accident."

"Yeah, Vincent warned me." He walked away from her and towards the door. "But it's weird. She didn't even seem to _care_."

"Hmm." Tifa went to the bar counter and sat on one of the stools. Her fingers delicately traced the cuts from the ninja weapon. "Maybe I was making a bigger deal out of this than it actually is. I mean, just because it changes our lives doesn't mean it'll affect anyone else's, right?"

The blonde nodded and bent down to the ground, bright colors catching the attention of his Mako eyes. His gloved hands picked up a thick folder, littered with fabric swatches and different dress designs pictures and other images of flowers. Everything seemed to be misplaced.

"…Oh great." Tifa slumped lower on the counter, her forearm completely flat on the semi-sleek surface. "It took me hours to finalize all of that." She dragged herself off from the stool and grabbed the book from Cloud, looking a little defeated. "Now I have to do all of it again…and the seating chart." She flinched, suddenly extremely annoyed. "Where am I going to put Yuffie and Vincent?! There goes the AVALANCHE table…I can't put them with the Turks…or with Shera's relatives…and putting them together would practically mean chaos!"

_Literally Chaos…_

"Tifa, it's okay. You have a couple of weeks, don't you?"

A deep sigh escaped her lips. "No! The wedding's in _2 days_. Apparently, Cid's friends from the WRO airship division won't be able to make it because of some important oil pipeline mission." Her eyes looked up to Cloud. "Which reminds me, you need to go for a fitting at 1. Okay?"

Cloud cringed. The last time he ever went for a fitting…it wasn't for a suit. _There will be pants this time. It won't be so bad. _ "I'll help you."

The martial artist pointed to his desk down the hall. "Help me? You have 5 new deliveries to make. All to Rocket Town…"

_Rocket Town? That's on the other continent._ "…looks like I won't make that fitting then."

"No, I scheduled it there for you…I know you won't be able to come back home." She gave him a faint smile. "Don't worry about it, Cloud. I'll handle everything. But you should get some rest anyway. Rocket Town's really far to go by bike and boat."

"Rest?" Cloud grabbed her hand. "I won't be home for 2 days and you want me to _rest_ tonight?"

Her face flushed as the meaning became apparent. "…yes! I need to do all this work anyway." She walked away from his hold, wedding material flush against her chest. 'I swear, sometimes you still sound like Zack."

Cloud smiled a bit at her comment, unsure if she meant it as an insult or not.

* * *

"Tseng, get there immediately.'

"Sir, I don't understand how anything like that could have happened. We took every precaution to make sure they were completely se…"

"Just get down there before the media does. The last thing we need is a circus."

"Yes, sir."

The man's pristine white suit crumpled as he fell back into the large desk chair. His hand went through his smooth blonde hair, completely frustrated. "Shit." His fist fell from his desk, producing a bellowing ring throughout the cavernous office. His thumb then pressed the button on his open cell phone. "And Tseng?"

"Yes, Rufus?"

"Do not inform me of any new developments. Not unless they involve _him_."

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**A/N:**

**...i'm sorry. i'm going to write more right now. byebye**

**~Mira  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:**

**yeah, so I felt bad. So i went on a streak (plus my 4th of july bbq ended super early) so here's another chapter! Thanks for being so patient for the last one. **

**and special-super thanks (wow I sound like yuffie...) to my reviewers!:**

**always-kh****, ****LovelessGenesis****, and ****vx-Luna-xv**

**Disclaimer: NOT MINE. ok :D**

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Tifa wiped the sweat forming on her forehead. Her eyes threatened to shut from exhaustion every few seconds, but she wouldn't relent. _Almost done. _ She finally decided to move Yuffie to the Turk table, Vincent's past history being too messy to deal with and Reeve not the most comfortable around his former employer.

"Cloud's getting the flowers, cake, and favors." She murmured to herself. "I need to get all of the dresses fitted today and pick up Shera's…and then I'll be done."

"Tifa." Marlene was still in her pj's. "Cloud's gone."

She remembered first hearing those words from the little girl's mouth. Back then, those 2 small words shattered her, but they barely had any effect on her now. "It's okay, Marlene. He's just preparing for the wedding. We'll see him tomorrow, okay?"

She nodded, light brown hair bouncing around her shoulders. "That's okay. Oh! Are we getting my dress today?"

"Mhm. Flower girl's need dresses, right?"

Marlene's small smile was glowing. She looked unexplainably happy. "Right!"

* * *

He quickly dismounted from the glossy, black motorcycle and looked up at the small, brick house before him. The harsh whisper of a tea kettle could be heard from the open kitchen window, making Cloud smile to himself as he knocked on the door.

"Who the hell is here now? Don't you know I have a damn wedding tomorrow?" The door soon swung open in fury with Cid Highwind on the other side. "Well, isn't it Cloud! Come in!"

Cloud walked in cautiously. _Is he okay?_ Cid's greetings weren't usually so calm.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" Cid poured the boiling water from the kettle into two mugs, offering Cloud one. The smell of cigarette smoke hung in the air as Cid extinguished the light in an ash tray. "You're here early."

"I brought things for the wedding." Cloud gestured to outside. "I'll get them unloaded…"

Cid held up his hand, stopping Cloud, "Now, now, we can sit and talk first, right?"

The younger man only blinked.

"Shit, well at least listen, will ya!" Cid fumbled in his pants' pocket for a brief moment and then removed a crumbled piece of paper. "I need your help with this thing."

Cloud reached for the paper, "What is it?" On the oil stained paper, in messy print, was the single word _Vows_.

"Shera got the big idea from your girl."

_My girl? Does he know too?_ Cloud didn't want to wait for any more comments about the situation. "So you don't know what to say?" His Mako eyes blinked up to Cid's normal blue ones. "You want my input?"

Cid cracked a grin, "…Why aren't you denying it anymore, Strife?"

He acted dumb. "Denying what?"

The older man huffed and relit a new cigarette, letting the grey smoke fume across the table. "You and Tifa." His boots soon fell on top of the flat surface as the man became even more comfortable. "Finally admitting you like her now, aren't you? Are you gonna act on it or be a stupid wuss forever?"

"Um…I already did." He scratched his blonde hair, awkwardly. "But your vows…"

"Are you shitting me?" The cigarette was hanging off the tip of his mouth. "Wait, so you're telling me you actually gathered up the balls to admit your damn feelings for her?"

Cloud nodded and took a sip of tea.

"So what the hell happened?!"

_Since when do you care so much about my life? _ "…well, she feels the same way."

"No shit she does! But did you two…you know?" Cid was laughing to himself. He loved how uncomfortable Cloud was getting, his once pale face turning perpetually red.

"Look, Cid. Just tell Shera how you feel, okay? I'll leave your stuff on the porch. I have to go to a fitting." Cloud downed the rest of the tea and headed of towards the door.

"Fine, fine. We'll talk later when you come back to sleep, 'kay Strife?"

He could hear the trilling laughs from the pilot even when he was back on his bike.

* * *

"_You have 14 unheard messages. First unheard message:_

'_Hey, Vince? It's Yuffie. I just wanted to…' "_

Vincent fumbled with his cell phone. His golden claw managed to press the delete button swiftly, not wanting to hear the ninja's voice again.

"_Second unheard message:_

'_VINCENT. Okay…I know what I did was…' "_

The familiar, comforting sound of the message being deleted was soon heard again and again as the ninja's voice kept appearing on the other end of the phone.

"_Seventh unheard message:_

'_Hey, Vincent. It's Tifa!'_

Sudden relief fell throughout the man's body.

'_Ha, ha. Silly of me to try and call you I guess, but hopefully you'll check your messages! Anyway, no need to call me back. I just wanted to remind you that Shera and Cid want everyone to dress up for the wedding. Cloud's going for his fitting in Rocket Town, so maybe you can join him? That's it! I'll see you tomorrow.'_

Vincent hung up the phone and deleted the rest of his voicemail, knowing who would be the voice behind it all. But a rather abnormal thought suddenly fell into his mind. _Should I call her back?_

It was immediately dismissed. He had nothing to say to her. _What could I say to her after she called…_

His red eyes glanced up from the ground to the delicate figure in front of him. Vincent originally came here to gather his thoughts, to reenter his usual calm state. He couldn't believe his actions back at the bar. _Did I really intend to shoot her?_ It would seem unwarranted, but the little ninja had no idea how much that woman had meant to him. She was his last bit of humanity, his last fragment of physical emotion. The dark haired man suddenly stood up, cape whooshing at his feet. His gloved hand reached out in front of him, tracing the edges of the Mako crystal smoothly. _Lucrecia…_

The cave had the opposite effect on him now. Seeing her small frame imprisoned, preserved forever, only mirrored his own inner anguish. _Am I trapped in there with you?_ His fists clenched at the thought.

Vincent cringed as the sudden vibration from his phone came through his pocket and up his back. He flipped the phone open quickly, eager to have his mind distracted from the former woman in front of him, "Hello?"

"Whoa, Vincent? You picked up?"

The high-pitched voice was a cue for him to hang up, but he stayed. "…Yuffie."

"No, No! Please don't hang up."

Vincent relented, but made no further noise.

"Okay, look, Vince…I said a lot of things I shouldn't have and I'm super-duper, completely sorry for them…and I understand if you never ever want to talk to me again…but I also wouldn't mind if you _did _decide to talk to me again…"

There was hesitation on the other side, like Yuffie wanted him to respond. But Vincent had no intention to.

"…Alright then…So I just wanted you to know that I feel completely shitty about this. And I'll guess I'll see you tomorrow? Or not…if you wanna ignore me. I get that…so, yeah. Bye!"

He heard the younger girl sigh on the other end and suddenly found his voice "Wait, Yuffie…"

But all that was left was the soft hum of the dial tone.

* * *

**A/N:**

**aw, yuffie/vincent drama...**

**So, a little question for my readers. Where did Rufus put the Jenova parts?**  
**haha, just curious to see if anyone knows :P. I'll reveal the location _eventually_. I actually wrote chapter 5 today too, so maybe I'll post it soon? But I shall get back to writing.**

**Bye all!**

**~Mira  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:**

**Hi all! Mira here and ready for the next chapter. So I wasn't really planning on updating but then I realized it was 7/7...so how could I not? (that and this chapter was already written but shhh)**

**I want to thank my reviewers ****vx-Luna-xv**** and ****goatgod. ****They offer me so much motivation. **

**Disclaimer: maybe one day...**

* * *

"Hmph."

Cloud continued to stand on the lifted platform, arms outstretched and head facing upwards. His eyes glanced to the heavyset man to his left. A yellow tape measure was dangling around his neck, but was soon unraveled into his hand and spanning the length of the fighter's stance. "…Hmph." He stopped again and wrote down a few numbers on a notepad. "You're shorter than I expected, Mr. Strife."

The blonde blinked, "…Are you almost finished?'

"Just 2 more..." The man was swift. "There." He took out the haphazardly placed pins on the lower half of Cloud's body and stood up straight. "The lady who called on the phone explained that your suit needs to be ready by tomorrow. I'll have it done by 8 o'clock for you to pick up."

Cloud couldn't care less. "Ok." He grabbed his blue sweater from the chair next to him and zipped it back up, letting the collar hang loosely on his neck. "I also have more suits to pick up for the Highwind wedding."

The tailor thought about this for a brief second and then nodded. "I'll have it all for you later. You can give me the 2000 gil for your suit then too."

_2000 gil?!_ But he refrained himself. "Alright."

Cid and Shera were getting married outside, in the back of the house where the rocket of Rocket Town used to be. Cloud had already delivered a message to the supplier that they needed tables and chairs, and as he passed the field on Fenrir, he saw the pieces of furniture already out in the lawn. The motorcycle was humming passed the Highwind House, getting ready to head to the local florist, when the cursing pilot sprung out of the house in a chaotic flurry. "Get your ass in here!"

Cloud hit the brakes on the bike and took off his goggles. "Cid, we can talk about that later. Tifa wanted me to pick up the bouq…"

"I don't give a shit about flowers or your crap relationship. Get in the house, now!"

He obeyed and followed Cid into the house, taking a seat back on the kitchen table. The pilot grabbed the remote from on top of the kitchen counter and aimed it at the TV. The sudden increase in volume immediately caught Cloud's attention.

"Former president of the Shinra Electric Power Company, Rufus Shinra, has tried to give an explanation to what could have occurred here." The news reporter soon flashed away from the screen.

The man himself was now sitting on a stereotypical sound stage, bandages removed, but ego still in tact. "This Mako reactor has not been operational ever since Meteorfall. Due to lack of maintenance, it is quite possible that the explosions were triggered but faulty wiring that went unchecked." Rufus cracked a quick smile and slicked back his hair with his right hand, "It is nothing for the citizens of Gaia to be concerned about."

The female reporter's voice could be heard off camera, "What about the other reactors no longer in use?"

"I assure you that my team of Turks are investigating those as we speak and making sure no other explosions occur in a less isolated area."

The camera flashed away from the interview and back to the live streaming. "And that was Rufus Shinra only an hour ago. This has been live, reporting from Junon …"

"Junon?" Cloud looked over to Cid, expecting further explanation. "What happened?"

Cid gulped down his cup of tea and slammed it on the counter. "Apparently there was an explosion in the Junon Underwater Reactor. Mysterious shit if you ask me."

Cloud didn't want to think about it. He was done messing with Shinra and Mako and reactors. He just wanted to be _normal_ now, well as normal as possible. "Rufus may be right. No one goes down there anymore."

"Ha! Like you can't see through that diplomatic crap? Something _bad _happened down there, Cloud."

The younger man shrugged, "And what do you want me to do?"

"Act like you fucking give a shit for once," Cid huffed and crossed his arms. "But fine. I need to go work on those vows. Hell if I'm letting anything stop my wedding. Heap of junk of a reactor…" Cid picked up his lighter from the table and headed off to the bedroom.

Cloud's blue eyes veered back to the TV screen.

"Back to the report on the Junon Reactor. It seems that the explosion did not cause any structural damage and was isolated to a single room. Metallic crates with Shinra labels have been found there, but the Shinra Electric Power Company fails to comment about the exact nature of these items."

The screen switched to a current view of the reactor. It was a large dark room, completely made out of metal. Sides of the walls seemed charred and edges of titanium boxes could be seen strewn on the sides. It looked like there was a bomb, like a Weapon had come and blasted the room to bits.

"There have been no reports of what have caused the explosion as of yet…" the reported paused, touching her head set as someone talked to her from the other side. "Wait, it appears like there have been 4 casualties."

_Probably from the explosion or extreme Mako exposure…but why were people down there?_

"They appear to have been employed by Shinra...but the exact nature of their deaths remains on certain. We have a Turk here to comment about the situation."

The camera moved once again to the right, revealing Tseng and Elena on the TV screen. They both looked extremely flustered, almost terrified. _What?_

"As former head of the Turks and a worker for the Shinra Company for many, many years, what is your best guess on what exactly occurred here?" The reporter brought her microphone up to Tseng's face.

He bent his head down, mouth right over the instrument, black hair falling over his cheeks. "…A pure electrical problem, I assure you." He gave a reassuring smile and looked over to Elena, who only nodded.

The reporter continued, "And those people…why were they down there if the reactor was non-operational?"

Tseng seemed to pause at this, but then smiled. "They were harvesting the last bit of Mako left over from the reactor holds. That energy was going to be used in depressed areas until oil was fully functional."

The reporter seemed displeased with this, obviously looking for something a little more controversial. She moved on to Elena, "And you, miss, can you give us a guess of what their cause of death was?"

"No, No!" Elena's voice failed to be as calm as Tseng's.

"It is still too preliminary to tell. We will be sure to inform the public after we have taken a closer look." Tseng gave a slight nod and signaled Elena to follow him off camera. The woman agreed, shaking her blonde hair profusely.

But something fell from her head.

Cloud blinked at the sight. It was so small, delicate and black. The tiny object dropped from Elena's shoulder and fell inconspicuously on the street, going completely unnoticed by anyone else. Its light airy movement made Cloud begin to sweat. His shoulders tightened at the realization.

It was a black feather.

* * *

"I'm covered in vomit."

Tifa pushed back her bangs and looked herself up and down in the floor length mirror. "Yuffie, it looks really nice."

"Yeah, if you want to look like throw up."

Marlene swirled on the tiny platform to her right. "I like my dress!"

Yuffie picked up the edges of her dress and walked off of the raised stage. She crossed her arms over the plain, strapless bodice. "Well that's because your's is pink, and although not my absolute favorite, it doesn't look like someone barfed all over you."

The little girl turned to the ninja and smiled. "That's true!" She then turned towards Tifa. "Can I change now and sit with Denzel in the front?"

"Mhm." Tifa then returned focus to her dress, which seemed to continuously slip down. "And Yuffie, even though this color is…less than perfect, we're Shera's bride maids."

The ninja rolled her eyes. "Does that mean we can't complain?"

"Basically."

The door on the far corner of the dress store soon opened. Out stepped Shera, looking absolutely dazzlingly in her short sleeved, simple white wedding dress. Her hair was still in her ponytail, glasses still on, but the dress made her face seem to glow. The dress itself fell straight down, not having a poofy skirt or any sort of extra fabric. "Is it okay?"

_She sounds so nervous. _Tifa immediately dropped down to floor level and dragged Shera over to the mirrors. "Just look at yourself! You're absolutely stunning, Shera!"

The engineer blushed and gathered her hair in her hand. "…I'll need help with my hair tomorrow..."

"Leave that one to me!" Yuffie hopped up, almost tearing her dress in the process. "We can't trust this one over there…remember her hair before Meteorfall? One big long mess…I'll get you looking perfect!" She placed her hands on her hips. "So this wedding's tomorrow, right?"

Shera nodded. "Mhm. It's probably better that it's so soon. That way nothing can…"

The sharp ring of a cell phone broke the conversation. Tifa rushed over to her shorts' pocket and pulled out the phone, smiling when the Caller ID read 'Cloud'. "Hey, Cloud."

Yuffie's eyebrow rose at the name, "Oh lover-boy calling ya?"

Tifa sighed, ignoring Shera's confused looks and Yuffie's taunts. "What happened…" her face twisted, "You saw what?"

* * *

Cloud popped up his goggles, halting Fenrir again outside of the dark store. "Hey! You're late!" The tailor was in the front, stomping his foot and looking less than happy in the dark night.

The blonde dismounted and scratched his head, "Yeah, sorry…I got distracted by something." _She's right. You're probably just imagining it. I mean…it could have been anything. _

"I left all of the suits inside in the back room. I'll wait out here for you to get them, okay? Then I have to close shop."

Cloud nodded his head and went to the shop. It was dark, but he didn't bother to put on the lights. He'd be out soon enough. The suits were hanging on the back hook, deep inside the shop where Cloud was previously getting fitted. His hands quickly grasped the hangers, and Cloud began to walk out when something in the mirror caught his eye.

_What?_

He paused in front of his reflection and blinked. _See? Nothing._ There was only a blonde man there with striking blue eyes. It wasn't an unfamiliar image at all, nothing to worry about or question. Cloud began to walk again, but the same shadow caught his attention. He turned in front of the mirror, the sight of black hair suddenly gone again.

_You're just tired. _

Cloud closed his blue eyes, a weak attempt to try and regain his mind. "There's nothing there." They flashed open, and immediately, Cloud flew back.

There was a SOLDIER next to his reflection, hands on his hips and a giant smirk on his pale face. "Nothing? I expected a nicer greeting than that."

* * *

**A/N:**

**I wonder who that could be... XD**

**I'll get started on chapter 6. Reviews are most welcome!**

**til next time,**

**Mira  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:**

**sorry for the delay. I was in NYC since...thursday and did not have my laptop. But anyway. Thanks to all the super wonderful reviewers for that last chapter!:**

**GaladrielofLorien****, ****Kisdota-The Freak Gamer, TifuFlare vx-Luna-xv,**** and ****Skyhanhunter**

**you make my day like usual :D**

**Disclaimer: still not mine.**

**oh, and who is Cloud gonna meet in this chapter?...huh...  
**

**

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**

Denzel's deep blue eyes strayed from the picture on his night stand to the blanket cowering under his chin. "Tifa…" His small hand rubbed his sleepy eyes. "Do I really have to go tomorrow?"

"Everyone's going, Denzel." She bent down to his level, concern suddenly flooding her cheeks. "Are you feeling okay?"

The 10 year old boy turned away and crawled deeper into his sheets. "I'm fine…when's Cloud coming home?"

Tifa cracked a tiny smile and smoothed out his hair. "Soon, Denzel. We'll see him at the wedding tomorrow." The martial artist than walked over to the little girl lying on the other side of the room. "Your daddy's coming too, Marlene." Tifa unraveled the little girl's ribbon and placed it on the night stand. Marlene was too tired to respond fully. Tifa started to head out of the children's bedroom when Denzel's whispered voice caught her off guard.

"Don't you…don't you ever worry about him, Tifa?"

Her mind wavered back to Cloud's phone call, back to all the moments he almost died, all the times he was confused and unsure. "He always finds his way." She flicked the remaining light off. "Now goodnight."

* * *

His breathing became caught in his throat, completely blocking his airways and threatening to cause him to collapse. His hands lost all sense of grip, lightly falling open at the shock in front of him. "Za…Zack." It came out louder than he had expected. Cloud quickly turned around, almost afraid that the image before him would disappear if his vision strayed from the mirror.

But there he was, blood stains gone, bullet holes erased. His black hair fell stiffly behind his head, but his Mako eyes glowed in the darkness of the store. "Now that's a better greeting. We didn't really have time to talk last time I saw you, Cloud."

"Yeah…I was busy." Cloud softly smiled, remembering the moment. Zack was there those months ago, when Sephiroth had come back. "Is…something wrong?"

The SOLDIER shrugged. "Can't I just check on you?"

Cloud paused, not really certain about the inner workings of the Lifestream.

"Oh! I get it. You rather have Aerith come, wouldn't you?" Zack laughed to himself. "Really Cloud, when I told you to live out both our lives, I didn't mean it to go _that_ far."

"Zack…Aerith and I— I don't…"

He held up his hand, "Hey! I don't want to hear it! Not like it matters now anyway. But you were right before, something is wrong." The usually carefree face became suddenly concerned. "Aerith sensed a disturbance in the Lifestream."

Cloud blinked, "What kind of disturbance?"

"A bad one if she wanted to talk to you about it. I offered to come instead. She gets to see you way more than I do." Zack fluidly jumped up from the ground. "It could be nothing, Cloud. Aerith's been…_off_ recently."

The blonde smiled back at his best friend. "Mad at you?"

"Hey!" Zack's face twisted and he held up his arms to retaliate. "It's not my fault that she thought I spent 5 years flirting with girls and _not_ stuck as a lab experiment. Maybe next time you guys talk, you put in a good word?" The black haired SOLDIER's smile fell as Cloud's serious expression took effect. "You worried about something?"

Cloud's eyes flew from the ground back to his friend. "…It's just what you told me…and what I saw …" The blonde shook his head. "Hey, Zack?"

"Hm?"

"…can some battles…never end?"

Zack grabbed Cloud's shoulders and smirked. "A hero's work, Cloud, never ends." He let go of his grip as his friend turned away. "Not what you wanted to hear?"

"Not exactly."

"But at least listen to this." Zack made Cloud's focus return to him. "There will be obstacles. I'm not gonna lie and say there won't be. But whatever nightmares get in your way, you have people behind you. Got that?"

He lightly nodded as the black haired fighter walked toward the mirror. "Zack?"

"Yeah?"

Cloud coughed. "Say hi to Aerith for me."

"Will do." Zack chuckled and walked forward.

"Oh, and Zack?"

"Hm?" He turned around to face the blonde.

"Thanks."

* * *

"Marlene! Marlene!" The martial artist ran throughout the house, hair flying, slippers gliding off her feet as she skidded on the hardwood floors. "Marlene! Denzel!" Her hand grabbed the cold metal door knob of the children's bedroom. "Get up!"

The door was opened easily, but what was there made Tifa look at the room strangely. Marlene was already up, her hand gently placed on Denzel's forehead. "Tifa…"

She immediately rushed over to the boy and replaced Marlene's hand with her own. "Denzel, you have a fever."

"I'm fine!" Denzel sat up, but coughed as his head leaned on the headboard. "This isn't anything."

Marlene shook her head. "You were coughing all night!"

"Hmm. Marlene, get the Heal materia." The little girl was off at Tifa's command. "Does your throat hurt?"

Denzel sighed. "It's nothing! Nothing compared to the stigma…"

"I know. But you're still sick." Tifa sat on the edge of the bed. "Maybe you should stay home today."

His eyes brightened a bit, "Does that mean I won't have to wear the suit? And sit and listen to a boring ceremony for hours?"

Marlene then came back into the bedroom, the small green materia in hand. Her head was down, Denzel's state obviously having great effect on her. She handed Tifa the small piece of condensed Mako and sat on the edge of her bed. "Will he be okay?"

The little boy sighed deeply at her concern. "I'll be fine!" He closed his eyes as Tifa equipped the materia and a rush of energy filled his body. "See? I feel better already."

"I still want you to rest though." Tifa ran her fingers through his brown wavy hair. His bangs hung gently across his forehead, almost masking the sweat that had formed from his fever. "We wouldn't want it to get worse. Marlene, go get dress." She then returned her attention to the young boy. "Will you be okay by yourself?"

He curtly nodded. "Of course." A cough escaped. "I'll be fine."

* * *

He looked weird in a suit. Too professional for his liking, too clean, too _ordinary_. _But isn't that what you want anyway? Too be normal?_ The motorcycle and leather clothes begged to differ. His blonde spikes were still pointed upwards. He could never change that. Gloveless hands moved bleached bangs to the side, uncovering the bright blue eyes glaring at his reflection in confusion.

_I never realized how similar they look._

The Mako glow was so similar to Zack's.

_And how different they look from everyone else._

Cloud could almost see his reflection in the dark pupil, almost see the outer glow radiating from his face. It only made him smirk.

"Cloud!" The gruff voice of Cid Highwind came through the hallway. "Are you done making yourself pretty? I need some damn help!"

He walked to the hall and to the master bedroom towards the pilot. Cid's head was in his hand, looking beaten and distraught. His tux was already on, but on his feet was only one dirty brown boot. The shoeless foot rubbed the carpet frantically with his heel. "Shit. I need a cigarette."

Cloud shook his head. "You'll make the tux smell. Where's Shera?"

"…on the _Shera_. Yuffie's there getting ready, but where's your girl?"

_She's not here?_ "Coming. What do you need help with?"

This made Cid immediately jump up. "Do I love her?"

"…Tifa?" _You better not._

"Fuck, no! SHERA." He kept hitting the bed, expending his nervous energy through force.

Cloud looked at the pilot without even trying to hide his half disdainful look. "Cid, I thought you were smarter than that."

"Huh?" His eyebrow rose as he fumbled through his suit pocket for his lighter.

Cloud shook his head. "You were always pushing me to commit and now you won't?"

The older man shrugged. "Please, this is a bit of bigger step. I just don't know…"

"Cid."

"I mean, yeah it's Shera and she's great and fantastic but fuck, Cloud…"

"Cid."

"WHAT?" The pilot looked up annoyed at the interruption and his apparently lost lighter. "What the fuck is it!?"

Cloud smirked. "You're acting like me."

The man's face immediately dropped. "Well I'll be damned." He kicked off the brown, muddy, boot and ran to his closet. "Check on the ceremony, will ya? I need to fucking get ready."

* * *

The guests were already pouring into the chairs. Not many people were invited, only close friends from the past and present and family of both the bride and groom. But even still, the backyard was slowly filling up with people.

Cloud walked through the grounds, momentarily unfocused. His vision glanced over the pure white chairs with purple lilacs guarding the ends of each aisle, the pale white, sheer ribbon forming bows on the back. The tables were delicately placed on the side, awaiting for the celebration after the formal ceremony. They held small glass vases in the middle with delicate calla lilies and hydrangeas composing the bulk of the décor. The sun was almost blinding, but framed the outside in a glorious ray. _It's perfect for them_.

"Hey, Spiky!"

The blonde was immediately met with a large dark skinned man. His good arm soon grabbed Cloud's back, pulling him into a deep vigorous hug. "Hi."

"That's it? I haven't seen you in months and all I get is 'hi'?" The man crossed his arms. "Hopefully I'll get a better reaction from Marlene. Where's Tifa? She's the one that made me look so ridiculous." And indeed, he did look ridiculous, tight black suit jacket barely fitting across his built chest. The gun arm ripped through the edge of the sleeve, not used to the extra fabric.

"She'll be here, Barret."

The two men were then greeted by an incredibly formally dressed man with a dark black beard. In his hand was cradled a small, black cat. "Hello all. Nice to finally get together like this." Reeve dropped the cat on the ground, flicking a switch on it's back. "Cloud, Barret."

"Hey!" The cat's small gloved hand waved wildly at the blonde. "Some wedding here isn't it?" Cait Sith cracked wobbled over. "Oh and Cloud, sorry about that fortune all those years ago…if I knew you really had a thing for Tifa too, I would have at least…"

"Reeve." Cloud's firm voice signaled Cait Sith to become silent. "Who told you?"

"Not me! Not me!" The sharp voice of Yuffie came through the crowd, suddenly concerned with the conversation with her friends. "I swear on the honor of Wutai that I never ever mentioned a word to this robotic cat."

Cait Sith wasn't so convinced. "Shut your trap, girl. You didn't need to tell me! It was posted on that crazy blog of yours."

_Blog?_

Yuffie crossed her arms, frustrated. "I do _not_ have a blog. It's a homepage."

"For what?" Barret blinked.

"My fans of course! They want to be updated on my life, and since Strife and Teef are the only actually things going on, you know besides this wedding, I may have mentioned one _tiny _detail about the possibility of something." The ninja grinned.

Cloud sighed, practically apathetic to the girl's antics. "It's fine. Has anyone seen…"

"Vincent!" The 18 year old girl practically jumped up as her black eyes saw the man coming through the yard. "...Ugh, talking to Red? I guess he'll just keep avoiding me…"

"Eh? What happened?"

The other AVALANCHE members become slowly interested in Yuffie's dilemma, leaving Cloud peace to search through the crowd of guests. _The wedding's starting soon. Where is…_ But his blue eyes soon spotted the figure holding on to Marlene's hand as they made their way through the entrance. "Tifa! Marlene!"

"Papa!" The little girl's dress went flying as she sprinted past the blonde and straight towards Barret. She was soon in the air, bouncing up and down in the arms of her loving father.

The woman leading her was a little calmer. "Sorry." She kissed Cloud's cheek out of habit, and soon blushed realizing her surroundings. "Denzel's sick."

"Sick?" He was immediately laden with nervousness. "How bad?"

Tifa shook her head, "Not too bad. Just a cold. I wanted him to stay home though." The smooth green fabric of her dress rustled as she linked her arm around Cloud's. "So shall we go?"

Hi eyes looked to her arm. "Tifa, I thought you said you wanted to wait until after the wedding."

"I did." She shook her head. "But that was before I got 7 voice messages from our friends saying how happy they were about this. I'm done with hiding."

_Good. _ His lowered his arm to the middle of the black, hugging her waist. "What's with that dress color?"

He didn't mean it as an insult, but it still managed to make Tifa flush. "…Shera's pick. But I have to say, you look pretty nice in that tux."

"I better. It cost a fortune."

She hit him lightly on the shoulder. "Cloud! It's a wedding. Everything needs to look right, be perfect."

"I know." Nothing would ruin this day for Cid and Shera. Not the blinding sun, slight allergies. Absolutely nothing. Cloud led Tifa to the front of the aisle, where they stood on either side of the rows. All of the guests were finally beginning to sit down, preparing for the ceremony to start, when a man in a white tux walked up to the blonde.

Rufus Shinra looked distraught. "Cloud, we need to talk."

His blue eyes narrowed, noticing Tifa's concern at the conversation from the other side of the room. Cid was already getting ready to walk down, ceremonial music tuning up. "…Not now."

"Yes now."

"No." he said it flatly, not wanting or instigating a response from the former president.

Rufus was relentless. "Then when?"

"After the ceremony…" his voice faltered a little, causing Rufus to smirk.

"You know what this is about? Don't you?" Rufus moved more to the side as the pilot was walking down towards the front of the aisle. "Then you know it can't wait."

_Shit. No…no….NO! _ "After the vows."

The former president's hand slicked back his blonde bangs, "Not a second later. He doesn't wait."

_He?_ Cloud's mind was buzzing as Rufus began to sit back down. The organ on the opposite side of the room started ringing as the bride began to glide down the aisle and towards her future husband. But Cloud couldn't notice it at all. The music notes were slowly fading in his mind, as his head began to fracture and grow number with each moment.

He could feel it. The dark, deep voice echoing through his skull without consequence.

_Cloud, I want to see you. _

Sweat stained his forehead, freezing on his temple and making his focus crumble.

_There was no need to miss me._

His back arched as the bitter cold sensation ate away at his spine.

_The nightmare always returns. _

_

* * *

_**A/N:**

**i just wanted to say that i absolutely love writing Zack...**

**reviews = my heart.**

**~Mira  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:**

**Okay, so here's the next chapter! I surprisingly don't have a lot to say about it. hm.**

**But of course I need to thank my fabulous reviewers:  
**

**Kisdota-The Freak Gamer, LovelessGenesis, and Skyhanhunter**

**they make me so happy :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own FF7, SquareEnix does. Lucky ducks.**

**

* * *

  
**

Light was bursting out of scattered clouds, illuminating the wedding grounds with little specks of radiance. The surrounding guests were hushed. All that could be heard was the light breeze pattering through the branches of the nearby oak trees and the harsh mutterings of a gruff pilot.

"Hell if I could match all of that stuff you said about me."

The audience laughed simultaneously. This was expected from Cid. Vows were a more _sensitive_ man's subject. But he seemed to regain control of his tongue as he grabbed both of Shera's hands and looked up from his polished black boots.

"Love at first sight…damn crazy people always talk about it. But what the fuck do they know? I hated you Shera. I couldn't stand to be with you." He cleared his throat as Shera started to loosen her grip on his hands, but Cid tightened the hold. "…You took everything from me. I wanted to go to space and see the stars, and at one point I thought you stole that.

"But what I didn't realize is that you gave me something even more fucking special. Something better than a black void or shiny bright lights." Cid paused again. "Aw shit." He scratched his head and fumbled in his pocket for a piece of paper. "Never mind, I'll just fucking say what I feel. You gave me the chance to know you, Shera. To see you. Hell with my dream of space or fame or fortune. I got all that now. But what I realize now is that it'd be nothing if you weren't right next to me. All of that would be nothing. I realized you were the dream. And I love you."

Shera's face brightened, small crystalline tears reflecting the fading sunlight off her cheek. Her smile fumbled as she became overwhelmed with emotion, but her lips still managed to whisper the same sentiments back to the pilot.

There was a standing ovation as the two were finally pronounced as one. Clapping overtook every other sound, and even Cloud felt the urge to stay, to congratulate the joyous couple. But the man in the white suit begged for his attention. The blonde walked over to the edge of the yard, far from the celebration, far from his friends. He soon came across Rufus Shinra flanked by his Turks, Reno, Rude, and Elena. "So?"

Rufus didn't respond, but gestured for Elena to speak. "Tseng…Tseng was at the reactor today." She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, chest rising from the sudden change in pressure. "He saw him."

"Who did he see?" But Cloud already knew. He had known for awhile. Zack's appearance only confirmed it. He had escaped death. He returned from the afterlife to kill him.

"It was Sephiroth."

_Fuck._ There was a strong twist of emotion in Cloud's head, but he managed to keep it internally. "Where is he now?"

Reno shook his head. "We don't know. Kinda assumed he'd be looking for you."

_He is. But why would they…_ "What makes you think that?"

"You're his only threat. The only thing stopping him from destroying this world." Rufus walked forward, closer to Cloud. "You need to find him and stop him first."

Cloud's fists clenched harshly. "How did this happen? How did he come back?"

"There were 5 guards watching the Jenova parts for me. Only four were found dead."

The knowledge was turning in Cloud's head. "…So the Jenova cells…"

"There must have been so much…all of them together. He didn't even have to be a Remnant like Kadaj." Rufus folded back his suit jacket, revealing the leather holster on his right side. "We were expecting him here."

_But he isn't…and he's looking for me. Oh shit…oh no. _His mind flashed white, and his knees started to collapse as the realization boiled in his head. _He's going…he's coming…_ "Denzel's still home."

He was moving fast, pushing past the jubilant and slightly drunk guests. Cloud's speed and sheer focus earned him a lot of attention, especially from one specific girl. "Cloud?"

There was no reaction from the blonde. He kept moving away from the party and towards his black and gold motorcycle, tanning in the ephemeral sun.

"Cloud!" She was running up to him, switching her heels for the comfort of bare feet. Tifa stopped as Cloud had one leg swung over the bike, surprise clearly evident on her pale complexion. "…Are you leaving?"

He only nodded and started the engine.

"But why?" Tifa tore at his arm, stopping him from continuing on.

Cloud looked over at her, silencing the bike. "I have to get back home."

"Home? Cloud, Denzel will be fine…"

"No." He shook his head and lowered the glasses onto the bridge of his nose. "He won't be, Tifa. Sephiroth's coming."

Her expression became perverse, the name sinking deep within her, making her shoulders tighten against her upper back. "…What?"

Cloud reignited the engine, fully mounting the bike. His vision fell back onto Tifa who looked completely pale. "I can't talk about this. He's here. He's after me. I need to go."

"Cloud!" The woman grabbed his back and shifted herself onto the back of the bike. "Now you can go."

"Tifa…"

"GO!"

He peered back at her for a brief second and then hammered the gas pedal.

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The trip was longer than he would have liked. He had to bribe the cargo ship to let him and Tifa make passage and then give the captain even more money to exceed the designated speed limit. They flew off the ship, carving through the desert surrounding the outskirts of Midgar causing dust to fly in their wake. Fenrir was roaring from the incredible speed, and Cloud wondered if he should have disturbed Cid and asked for the airship.

He finally stopped the bike in front of the Seventh Heaven. Everything seemed normal, quiet. Tifa looked at him cautiously and ripped the outer edge of her dress. It no longer hung close to the ground, but in the middle of her thigh, making it easier to get around and to fight. "You need some materia."

"It won't work on him." Cloud opened the Fenrir's side compartments and formed his sword.

"I meant for you." She walked closer to the house and put her hand on the door.

"Tifa, be…"

But she opened it, slowly at first. The air felt tight as the bar of the Seventh Heaven came into view. A mug of tea lay silently on the counter. Patterns of light cascaded back and forth through the room as the clouds wildly rode through the sky. The wind was fierce and biting.

"No one's here," She breathed. Her bare feet crept across the wooden floor. Tifa was slightly relived. Cloud wasn't.

"Denzel?" He ran up behind her and then through the hallway. "Denzel?!" _Shit. _He was in the children's room now, completely heartbroken. The little wooden caving of a chocobo was on the floor, the frame of the family photo shattered on the ground. The covers were haphazardly sprawled across the bed, and the little boy gone.

"Cloud, here's the Restore mat…" Her voice died. The burdened breaths echoed through the room as she collapsed on the wooden floor. Tifa shook her head and let her hair drop on front of her face. "He's gone." Cloud bent down to her level and dragged her body back up, leaning her against his chest.

"I'llget him back."

She looked up to him, her eyes glassy. "_I'll_?"

Cloud didn't respond verbally. His hands grabbed the center of her cheeks, dragging her lips to his. They locked completely, and he felt the tension from his body begin to drain from his core, his body enveloped with a new feeling. Tifa grabbed the back of his neck harshly, intensifying the motion and signaling Cloud not to stop. But he did. He _had_ to, otherwise he'd run out of air. "You can't."

She pushed him back, "Cloud…"

"I have to handle Sephiroth."

"But by yourself? " The tears were now falling.

He hated that. He hated making her cry, seeing her sad because of _him_. Cloud grabbed her closer, but she pulled back. "I can't lose you."

Tifa wiped her face, somewhat angry with herself, but she couldn't hide her flushed face. "Then stop pushing me away."

Cloud's heart stung, felt almost pierced. His blue eyes glanced over her face, scrutinizing her fallen eyes, her wavering lips and crinkled hair. "We'll go then."

His hips were immediately met with her hug. "Thank you."

"You need to take Denzel and leave."

She nodded. "Yes," and then paused. "Do you have any idea where he is?"

"I can guess." Cloud grabbed Tifa's hand. "Come on."

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**A/N:**

**Hm, where are they going?**

**I guess you'll wait and see. I should get on that chapter 8...**

**review if you like!**

**~Mira  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:**

**Hm, guess I'm sort of on a streak. I just felt like writing more, so here you guys are! A lot of my motivation, of course, is because of my fabulous reviewers. I got a whole bunch this time which practically made me squeal :D THANK YOU!:**

**Kisdota- The Freak Gamer, MoriMemento, TiffanyLockheart, TifuFlare, and ObsessiveCompulsiveValkryie**

**all your comments make me so happy. **

**Oh, and this is sort of my first attempt at a fight scene...so sorry in advance.**

**Disclaimer: Roar. Still no.**

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The stone church stood like a mammoth on the destructed plain. Silent air left by the engine powering down was soon disturbed by the crackle of thunder. The day's direction completely changed. The sky, once sunny and bright with only pure prospects, turned grey with charging clouds. The blonde peered up at his namesake, stepping off the bike with ease and looking back towards Tifa. "He's inside."

Tifa followed him up, equipping certain materia and handing the rest to Cloud. "How can you tell?" The area seemed quiet to her except for the imminent storm.

"Sephiroth always leaves a trail of blood." Cloud's boots kicked back the dust and directed Tifa's direction to the ground. There were droplets of blood littering the dry floor.

Her brown eyes glanced down but soon looked back up with fear. "He can't be dead, Cloud. If he…"

"He isn't, Tifa." Cloud took her hand, not only for her reassurance. The two of them walked up to the entrance of the church and stopped. _He's waiting for me. _"Tifa…" He took out the keys to Fenrir and dropped him gently in her hand. "You get out of here. Get Denzel and run."

She turned to face him, accepting his need to fight alone, finally understanding that this was one battle only he could win. He needed to do this by himself. Cloud would have to be the one to defeat him. "Just…" She gently kissed his lips, the wet tears brushing against his own face from their close contact. Tifa brushed back the drops and dug her face into his neck, taking in his scent. "Come back alive. Please."

"I promise." Cloud swept back her hair and fingered her teardrop earrings. "Let's go." He kicked open the door, no longer wanting or needing the silent tension. The adrenaline was finally pumping. "Sephiroth!"

There was no answer. The church seemed vacated, only occupied by the flood of holy water and broken pews. Cloud stepped straight down the aisle with Tifa trailing behind him. Both their senses were tingling, waiting for the slightest movement or sound. Tifa touched Cloud's shoulder. "He's here?"

Cloud was becoming doubtful himself. _Why would he come here anyway?_ He couldn't really explain it, but something inside sensed his presence. _Like the Reunion_. It was then he looked straight down behind the pool of water. The Buster sword collapsed to the ground, surrounded by drooping yellow and white flowers.

Pale yellow petals were dropping from the sky. They floated down past Cloud's face and into the water's edge. His blue eyes shot up to the cracked ceiling.

"Hello, Cloud."

The smooth voice was in front of him. His black, feathered wing was curled behind his back, but the smirk on the man's face only grew. Sephiroth strolled forward, his vivid green eyes fully focused on the small yellow flower delicately held in his hand. Straight, ivory hair flew past his neck as he walked closer and closer to the blonde. "Nice of you to come."

"Where's Denzel?" His voice was ridden with anger.

"Hmph." The man ignored the question and held the flower up. "What was it like, Cloud? How did it feel when I took her away?" Sephiroth glanced at Cloud for a slight second and then directed his sight back on the flower. "How much did it hurt?" Black sweeps of air soon consumed the area where he once was. The silver haired man soon appeared at the back of the church, floating gently above the Buster Sword. "As much as when he was shot dead? As you stood helpless, only watching?"

Sephiroth disappeared again, but soon resurfaced on the church's rafters. "Was it equal to the pain you felt when that disgusting town burned from my own hand?" His image vanished, and the blackness came in front of Cloud again. The flower was in his leather clad palm. "Did it destroy your soul? Did I give you despair?" His fingers clamped over the flower petals, completely crushing their life. Sephiroth wringed the plant in his hand, letting the fragments drop on his boots. Mako infused eyes looked up. "And yet... here you are. How do I break you?"

The blonde shook his head, bringing out his own sword. "You can't. You never will."

"Hmph." Sephiroth grunted and looked behind Cloud, green eyes shining with mockery. "I doubt that." There was a deep crack sound as Sephiroth moved from in front of Cloud. The metal flash of Masamune caught the storm's light as it slid in front of Tifa's pale throat. "I could take it all away."

Blood drained from Cloud's face. Tifa stood there, practically choking from the blade's proximity to her air supply. The blonde felt feeble and completely powerless. _No, no! _"Sephiroth! Let her go!"

The other man smiled contemptuously. The blade dug deeper, letting droplets of blood fall from her torn skin. "Would this shatter your spirit?"

"Let her go!"

"Would the darkness finally consume your soul?"

"STOP! SEPHIROTH!"

There was a release of tight air as the winged man flew back and crashed against the church's wooden door. Her hands immediately went to her neck, sore and bloodied from Masamune's tight grip.

"Asshole." The red sore was actually visible from her elbow, the incredible impact leaving its mark. Tifa closed her eyes and fell down. Her hands were completely covering her throat, helpless in stopping the skinny stream of red.

Cloud ran to her and placed his own hand against her neck. The materia soon encased the wound and left a slight scab in its place. "Are you okay?"

A coughing fit escaped her mouth. Tiny bits of blood spattered out, but Tifa only wiped it away. "I'm okay." She fumbled up and smiled at the blonde. "Thanks." But her attention soon wavered to a body in front of her. "Denzel!" The martial artist ran up, away from Cloud's grasp, and through the chilling water. The little boy's back leaned against the far right pillar, face directed away from the entrance. She lightly touched the large gash on his right leg, making his body flinch in pain. "He's alive!"

"Then go! The back way!" Cloud's eyes didn't even dare to look back. They were focused on Sephiroth, who was finally beginning to stand up. He heard Tifa's footsteps pound across the wooden floor and away from the battle. Relief immediately swept through his body. "Sephiroth! This is our fight. Leave them out of it."

Sephiroth angled Masamune behind his back as he stood back up. "Very well." There was a dash of air coming towards Cloud. The cold metal blade of Masamune swept across his left side, barely dodged by Cloud's reflexes.

The blonde sidestepped and flipped back, his boots touching the sides of the pillar. The foundation cracked as he pushed forward, rocketing towards Sephiroth. Blades collided and flashed blue and white. Metal sung from the tight impact. The two swordsmen unleashed blow after blow, only met by the others weapon. Cloud's footing dropped as his boots skidded close to the water's edge.

The former SOLDIER general took notice and advantage. A shallow cut was dragged across his upper chest, staining the holy water with blood. "Your pain…I feel it." Sephiroth's lips curled. With his hand raised, Sephiroth swung it at Cloud's side, forcing the blonde warrior back, crashing inches away from his old sword. "Your dreams" The silver haired man huffed. "They're dying."

Cloud's vision went red with spots of black. His ribs were cracking from the fall, his head dizzy from the wall's impact. Cloud felt himself choking, blood occupying his throat where air should. He tried to steady himself up, but slipped on the destroyed flowers.

"_Cloud!"_

The voice was soft, so caring.

"_HEY! You've done this twice already and now you want to give up?" _This one was deeper, more relaxed. "_Get up and fight!"_

He closed his eyes. _He's so strong. _His muscles were wobbling from exhaustion.

"_And you're stronger." _The soft voice was back. _"Cloud, you can win this. You will."_

Two hands fell on his fallen shoulders. One felt smooth and gentle while the other was gloved and firm. _"End this."_

Cloud touched the blood on his chest, sending the healing magic to that area. His weak arms felt empowered, lighter, as he dragged himself from the ground to face his enemy. "Sephiroth." He held his sword up, angling it against his cheek. "You'll never break me. I've been through hell. I've watched my friends die, my hometown burn, the planet in ruin." Cloud threw his sword down, and picked up the rusted weapon between crushed flowers. "But you… You will never break me. No matter how many times you come back, you'll never win."

He held the sword with its tip on the ground, skimming the wooden floors and the surface of the water as he sprinted towards Sephiroth. Masamune was held up, ready to defend. The buster sword flew with Holy still equipped. A pale green light encased the blade as it pierced the man's skin, cutting deep and sharp. Cloud clenched the hilt and hit him another time and another. The blows barraged Sephiroth's body, leaving him helpless and Masamune on the floor, forgotten.

Cloud stepped back and watched the fading man. "This is over. Jenova's gone. And now you are too."

There was no retort this time. Sephiroth's face dropped down to the ground. His body crashed, wing sprawled out and bloody. Cloud dropped the Buster Sword and exhaled deeply.

His lifeless body was gone, leaving only fading darkness.

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**A/N:**

**Hmph, I think only one chapter left after this one. I hope you guys liked this chapter! Tell me what you think!**

**~Mira  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:**

**And so the last chapter begins...**

**but before that, a special thanks to my reviewers who actually don't think my descrition of fight scenes are too terrible (really, thanks :D) :**

**ObsessiveCompulsiveValkyrie, Kisdota-The Freak Gamer, LovelessGenesis, kitsune13, and vx-Luna-xv**

**OCV and I are also looking for supporters to convince SquareEnix to get going on the FF7 remake (yes, I'm an obsessed fangirl). If any of you are interested in helping/have any ideas, please PM either of us. :D thank you.  
**

**Disclaimer: Plot's mine. Characters...not so much.**

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His leather gloved hands searched through his pant's pockets for the ringing object. Even through the thick material, his finger tips traced the cold outer surface of his phone, and he brought the object out and to his ear. He gently pressed a button and listened. "Hello?"

"Cloud! Cloud! Cloud!"

He had to hold the phone away from his head to prevent going deaf. The loud, high voice continued.

"What happened? You fought Sephiroth? Did you win? Why didn't you call us?! We would have helped!" Yuffie gave a long sigh. Cloud could hear her rustle on the other end of the phone, obviously trying to mask some of her energy. "Well, come on! Tell me!"

"Yuffie, everything's fine. He's gone now." He gave a light sweep through his newly washed and dried hair. The spikes fluffed up from the contact, making him shake his head as bangs fell into his face. "Alright?"

"Alright?!" A loud grunt came from the small ninja's mouth. "Just next time the evil maniac comes by, pleeaaase give us a call, okay? I may act like I don't like you, Chocobo Head, but Tifa would be so sad if you were gone."

Cloud only nodded, but Yuffie still had the intuition to continue. "Anyway…" her voice was slightly softer this time. "…Did you talk to Vinnie yet? I saw him at the wedding and we kind of made up a bit. I mean, he still wouldn't dance with me or anything or let me wear his jacket…or eat his wedding cake, but I really think that eventually he will come…"

"Yuffie, I'll call you if he says anything."

There was a slight pause, strange for the restless ninja. "…You'll _call_? You'll _call_ me?"

"…yes?"

Yuffie immediately burst into a fit of laughter. "HA! You sure Sephiroth didn't knock your head against a wall? You okay, Cloud?"

His voice was stern. "Yes, fine." The laughing fit was beginning to get on his nerves. "Goodbye Yuffie." Cloud flipped the black phone shut and placed it down on his desk. He rubbed his eyes forcefully, trying to remove the evident marks of sleep. His fingers flipped through the stack of papers on his desk-- future deliveries, past bills, children's art work.

A smaller, thicker piece caught his attention between sheets of mundane notes. It was only one photo, one simple piece of paper with mirror images of people he knew. People that were once strangers, but now some of the most important things in his life. He rubbed the edges delicately with his finger tips, taking in the background, the people, the expressions, everything about it.

The familiar ring of his phone was heard again. He looked briefly at the time. _4:23 am? I should sleep._ But he had the urge to answer the call first. "It's Cloud."

"Hey! Hear ya ditched my wedding."

His face paled a little at the sound of Cid's voice. "Sorry, there was an emergency…"

"Ha, just messing with ya! I'd get out of that damn place too if it wasn't for the missus here. So, you got him?"

"Yes. It's done." _It's over._ "The rest of your wedding went well?"

The pilot sighed. "Eh, I guess. Everyone was worried where the hell you and Teef ran off to. I thought you just were…you know, but that asshole Shinra explained the deal." Cid gave a soft chuckle. "Gotta admit though, the best part was _after _the wedding, if you know what I mean…"

"…yeah." The younger man rubbed his hair. "Are you calling for anything specific?"

"I'm calling for you. Jeez, me and Shera were worried about your sorry ass. But you're alive, aren't ya?" Cid barely waited for a reply. "Did ya hear? Valentine's staying at Kalm."

Cloud blinked and made a mental note to tell Yuffie, "Why?"

"Hell if I know. The ninja approached him at the wedding and he just walked off, whispering something about Kalm. I thought maybe he talked to you."

"No…can't say he did." Cloud shrugged to himself. Vincent's actions didn't normally make any sense.

"Well I'm glad you were damn lucky again. I'm gonna head back to my girl now. Don't go fucking anything up while I'm on my honeymoon."

The dial tone came quicker than Cloud anticipated, encouraging him to smile. Light blue eyes glanced back down at the desk. He looked at all of his friends faces, stopping at one in particular. Cloud's heart felt heavy with a sudden emotion. Just the image of her face made his chest feel tight.

"Cloud?"

The airs in his lungs escaped.

"Cloud, you're still up?" Her small hands moved onto his back, slowly rubbing his shoulders, releasing any tension, but elevating his heart rate. She moved her thumbs against his shoulder blades and dug in deeply with just the right amount of pressure. Cloud sighed and leaned his head back, flush against Tifa's upper abdomen. "You should get some rest. Aren't you tired?"

_Suddenly…no._ "How's Denzel?"

Her hands lightened their touch, "He finally fell asleep." Tifa removed her hands completely and sat on the nearby chair. "Barret called. He wanted to check on you and let us know he has Marlene."

Cloud nodded and moved out of his seat. "Tifa…"

She cocked her head to the side, "What is it?"

The blonde didn't say another word. He shifted down to her level and grabbed her around the waist, hoisting her up and letting her white legs wrap around his torso. Their lips swiftly met as Cloud moved down the hall and towards Tifa's room. The door was silently shut behind them, as both made their way deeper into the room and across the cold wooden floors.

Cloud dropped her light body gently on the soft surface. His gloves fell off easily before he lightly combed through Tifa's dark brown hair. "Tifa." Cloud's voice was soft, his breathe mostly forming the word.

She replied with a soft kiss, trailing from his cheekbone back to his lips. Cloud couldn't suppress the smile, the overwhelming feeling of easiness, of affection. His electric blue eyes flashed at her face, noticing the slight shadows and contours of her cheeks and brow.

To her dismay, Cloud rolled to her left, back flat against the bed. "You could have died."

"I didn't." Tifa touched Cloud's pale cheek and smiled. "Don't even talk about it." She moved her head back down to his chest, black hair spanning across his body.

"Alright." The heavy sensation from his chest was now gone, replaced by something soft, something practically weightless.

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"_Thank you…for visiting him for me. And for helping him…back there." Her head was lowered down, wavy bangs brushing softly against her pale cheeks. She couldn't bring herself to look at him, which made her confused. "I think…I think I was wrong."_

_The man placed his hands on his hips. "Oh? You're not wrong about a lot of things. What is it?"_

"_I was wrong about… you." She glanced up briefly, catching his blue eyes with her green. It was then she saw him. She felt him again. _

"_Hey..." His energetic voice focused her attention. He was lightly scratching his black, spiky hair. "…I was just wondering. It's been so long, and you still wear it?"_

_Her eyes narrowed at the statement. She couldn't exactly change her appearance, not here. But realization soon came when she noticed his eyes looking at her hair. She fingered the pink ribbon lightly, feeling a warm sensation on her hand. "I never took it off. I couldn't."_

_His expression, for once, was absent of its typical smirk. It was much more innocent than that. "…I…I Aer…" He stopped himself when something behind him caught his attention. There were two people walking in to the church, one blonde and the other with dark brown hair. "Hey, look who's here! Shall we go pay…"_

"_No!" She caught his arm, the first time she's touched him since… "I think we should stay hidden now."_

"_Huh?" _

_She gave him a small smile, barely visible from her lowered face. "It's just now I understand it, and…I'm happy."_

-

The sword was boosted back up, properly standing tall and proud, a true landmark for a hero.

"Is it okay now?"

Cloud turned back around to the girl behind him. Her hands were placed behind her back, and her face had a shining smile. "Yeah." He sped across the water to the other side of the church, a firm lightness in his step. He immediately grabbed Tifa's hand and laced his fingers in between her own. "I'm…ready."

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**A/N: I hope you guys have enjoyed this series! It's been really fun to write! Expect...something from me in the near future. It may be a crossover or a one shot or a normal series or...well that's all I'd ever do, so yeah. **

**Reviews = love.**

**bye all!**

**~Mira  
**


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